Armin Redzic emigrated to Australia in 2001 as a teenager, gaining a visa on humanitarian grounds after escaping the bloody civil war that devastated his homeland.

Less than three years later he committed the first in a long line of criminal offences, going on to compile a rap sheet blotted by multiple stints in prison and convictions for drugs offences, assault and burglary.

In 2015 the Department of Immigration and Border Protection cancelled his visa after he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Last month the Administrative Appeals Tribunal finally confirmed the decision following a lengthy review process.

"Mr Redzic has breached numerous court orders in the past and has reoffended despite warnings about the need to remain alcohol and drug free," read the tribunal's report, seen by Fairfax Media.

"There is no persuasive evidence to suggest that he has rehabilitated properly.

"If he reoffends in a manner similar to his past offending, the cumulative impact would cause significant harm to the Australian community."

Between stints in prison, Redzic lived in Canberra where he worked in the local construction industry and tried to get his life back on track.

Court records show that in 2012 he was fined $1400 in the ACT Magistrates Court for a range of driving offences.

He later moved to Queensland to be with his partner and it is understood that he is currently being held at the Christmas Island Detention Centre.

In a written statement provided to the tribunal, Redzic described how a traumatic upbringing in a war-torn country had contributed to his anti-social behaviour.

"[He] said that after his parents separated when he was aged six months he continued to live with his mother and they were very poor," it read.

"He stated that he suffered verbal and physical abuse from his stepmother and his father.

"When he was aged nine years he and his family were imprisoned during the Bosnian War.

"He claimed that mental health issues arising from childhood trauma in Bosnia, in addition to alcohol and drug use, were a major contributing factor to his offending."

After the death of a close friend in 2013, Redzic turned to alcohol and drugs, which he admitted were the catalyst for much of his offending.

"Mr Redzic conceded that he has committed many offences of dishonesty, but said that these were related to his alcohol and drug use and to the dire circumstances in which he found himself," the tribunal found.

"The tribunal views Mr Redzic's crimes very seriously, particularly his repeated failure to adhere to court orders."

Despite Redzic's contrition for his crimes, and offers of paid employment if he were to stay in Australia, the tribunal said it could not let him keep his visa.

"The tribunal accepts that after living in Australia for 15 years there would be some difficulty for Mr Redzic in adjusting to life in Bosnia and Herzegovina," the report said.

"However he has extended family there, he speaks the language and has a degree of familiarity with that country's culture."

The decision comes as the federal government cracks down on immigrants with extensive criminal histories living in Australia.

Since 2014, the number of people deported for holding serious criminal convictions has increased from 76 per year to 983 per year.

A new law recently introduced to parliament seeks to give Immigration Minister Peter Dutton even more influence over the visa process, by giving him the power to overrule tribunal decisions.